Ore washing machine



P 25, 1956 J.,A. VIGEANT 2,764,291

ORE WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

JOSEPH A. V/GEANT A TTORNEY United States Patent ORE WASHING MACHINE Joseph A. Vigeant, Vallejo, Calif.

Application December 12, 1952, Serial No. 325,731

3 Claims. (Cl. 209269) This invention relates to an ore washing machine.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine which in a single operation separates ore, or rocks, from sand clay, talc and other foreign ingredients.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine which uses a novel principle for agitating and moving the ore in said machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the type described in which ore and rocks are constantly vibrated back and forth and at the same time are rocked about the central longitudinal axis of the machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide new means for supporting said machine, said means permitting to move said machine horizontally back and forth and to rock it at the same time.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best but it is understood, that the invention is not limited to. such form; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of said machine.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section of the same.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical cross-section of the same, showing the discharge opening partially "closed; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the machine illustrating the mode of operation.

In detail my machine 1 comprises an open box 2 having a bottom 3, a front wall 5, a back wall 6, a side 7 and a side 8. The front wall 5 and the back wall 6 have extensions 10 which serve as deflecting plates for the ore and water in the box 2. The latter is preferably made of iron plates welded together.

The box 2 contains three different screens 11, 12 and 1-3 superimposed upon each other and covering the entire area of the box. The upper screen 11 preferably consists of heavy bars welded or otherwise secured to each other to form openings therein of about 4" wide. The screen 11 rests directly on a middle screen 12 which may be made out of steel bars or a heavy steel plate so as to form openings therein about 2" wide. The latter screen rests directly on the fine mesh screen 13 wherein the openings are one quarter, or one eighth of an inch, or of any desired size.

The screens are located, substantially about midway from the bottom to the top of said box and are supported in the middle by a heavy I beam 15, which extends through the length of the box 2 in the middle thereof and 2 which is securely attached to the bottom 3 and the sides 7 and 8. The screen 13 is supported at its periphery by angle irons 20 which are welded or otherwise secured to the front wall, back wall and the sides of the box.

The bottom 3 of the box 2 is covered by heavy boards 21 to prevent it from wearing by constantly moving particles. A plurality of large openings 22 are cut in the beam 15 to let the water and residuary settlement to pass from one side of the box to the other.

The box 2 a chute 25 attached to the side 7 through which chute ore, rocks and stones are gradually discharged from the box. The side 7 is suitably cut off as at 26 down to the bottom of said chute to provide exit for said ore, rocks and stones.

The opening 26 may be partially or completely closed by boards 27 placed into the guides 28 secured to the side 7 on each side of said opening. Thus the discharge level of said machine may be easily regulated.

Sand, and also fine ore and minerals liberated from the lumps of ore, rocks or stones pass through the lower fine screen 13 and are held in suspension under said screen and are gradually discharged through a fine ore discharge 30. most screen 13 and extends upwardly at an angle until it reaches the height of the level of the water in said box and then turns downwardly. If desired an additional fine ore discharge 30 may be provided in said machine.

The box 2 is also provided with one or more discharge valves 31, for discharging sediments accumulated in said box.

The machine 1 is vibrated through a yoke 35 comprising a pair of strong beams 36 attached to the front wall 5 substantially in the middle thereof and reinforced by the beams 37. The outer ends of the beams 36 are secured to one end of a shaft 40 which has on its other end an excentric yoke 41. The latter is rotated by some means, not shown in the drawing. If desired, another excentric 42 may be coupled with said excentric 41 to be operated simultaneously therewith, thus having two machines operated at the same time by the same means. The rotation of the excentric 41 moves the shaft and the box 2 backwardly, forwardly and at the same time.

rocks the box 2.

For the purpose of permitting the box 2 to move backwardly, forwardly and to rock at the same time, novel means are provided for the support of said box 2, with lireedom of all said motions. The last mentioned means include a plurality of rollers 50 arranged under said box along the central longitudinal line thereof. The rollers 50 are not secured to said box 2 and are free to move, rotate and slide sideways within certain limits. The rollers 50 rest on the bottom of a channel iron 51, and thus their forward and backward motion is limited by the width of said channel. Another channel 52 is secured to the bottom of the box 2 opposite the channel 51. Said channel 52 bears on said rollers 50. The longitudinal displacement of the rollers 50 in relation to the channel '51 is limited by lower stops 55 in form of angle irons secured to said channel near each end of each of said rollers 50. The longitudinal displacement of the box 2 in relation to the rollers 50 is limited by upper stops 56 formed by angle irons secured to the channel 52 opposite the stops 55. Thus, the movements of the rollers 50 are limited in relation to the channel 51, and the movements of the box 2 over said rollers are also limited. This arrangement permits the box to be moved forward and backward, and to be rocked about said rollers at the same time. It is obvious that, if desired, one roller extending under a substantial portion of said box 2, may be provided instead of a plurality of short rollers 50.

Ore, rocks, stones, sand, talc, or other material to be The latter starts right under the lower-v washed are deposited in the box 2 by a conveyer belt 60 and water for the machine is delivered by a pipe 61.

The machine operates as follows: ore, rocks or other material to be washed is delivered to the box 2 by the conveyer belt 60 and deposited on the screen 11. Necessary amount of water is constantly supplied by the pipe 61. The box 2 is rapidly moved forward and backward and rocked about said rollers 50. The combined movement of said box 2 moves and turns the rocks, stones and chunks of ore on said screens. Small particles pass through the fine mesh screen 13. Clay and talc are broken up and dissolved by Water and flow over the chute 25 into specially provided ponds and settle there. The rocks, stones and ore by constant moving and rocking are cleaned of talc, clay and other foreign matter and gradually find their way to the chute 25 and are discharged therethrough.

'I he fine particles which passed through the fine mesh screen 13 are discharged throgh the fine ore discharge 30. Usually the process of cleaning of ore liberates small amount of metal, such as mercury, which settles on the bottom of the box and is recovered by discharging the same through the valves 31 together with any sediment which may settle on the bottom.

The above described machine is also suitable for cleaning and screening sand for road construction, in which case the screen 13 is substituted by a screen with the openings of desirable size.

For breaking up talc or clay and dissolving the same, rocks and stones are added and the box 2 is operated at higher rate of vibration than in cleaning rocks and ore, or washing sand.

The machine is compact, durable and highly efficient on dissolving talc and clay and cleaning ore.

I claim:

1. An ore washing machine comprising a box for washing ore, a separating screen in said box, a chute attached to said box for discharging material from above the screen, a fine discharge chute attached to said box for discharging material that passed through the screen, means for supporting said box with freedom of movement back and forth and rocking about said means, the latter comprising a plurality of aligned rollers located under the middle of said box, means for limiting longitudinal and transverse displacement of said rollers, said box resting on said rollers, and means for moving said 7 4 box back and forth on said rollers and for rocking said box about the same.

2. An ore washing machine comprising a box for washing ore, a separating screen in said box, a chute attached to said box for discharging material from above the screen, a fine discharge chute attached to said box for discharging material that passed through the screen, means for supporting said box with freedom of movement back and forth and rocking about said means, said means comprising a channel iron secured to the bottom of the box at its middle, a second channel iron for supporting the box, a free roller between said channels resting on the second channel and bearing the first channel, means at the ends of said channels for preventing the longitudinal displacement of the roller in relation to said second channel and of the first channel in relation to the roller; and means for moving said box back and forth on said roller and for rocking said box about the same.

3. In an ore washing machine having a box for washing ore, means for supporting said box with freedom of backward, forward and rocking movement, said means comprising a free roller located substantially under the middle of said box, the latter resting on said roller, a

' channel iron supporting said roller with freedom of rolling therein, means on the box for limiting the transverse and longitudinal displacement of said box in relation to said roller, and means on said channel iron for limiting the longitudinal displacement of said roller in relation to said channel iron.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 349,442 M'atzke Sept. 21, 1886 529,307 Pike NOV. 13, 1894 563,805 Rockfellow July 14, 1896 801,289 Wiswell Oct. 10, 1905 1,069,731 Salisburg Aug. 12, 1913 1,312,664 Yernaux Aug. 12, 1919 2,089,548 Frantz et al Aug. 10, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,672 Australia Dec. 23, 1932 128,615 Germany Feb. 27, 1902 136,850 Great Britain Sept. 16, 1920 224,897 Germany Aug. 22, 1909 242,822 Germany Jan. 22, 1912 

